Can feeding apparatus



Aug. 2, 1932. E BAUER 1,869,653

CAN FEEDING APPARATUS File F 1926 Q 5 she ts-sneet 1 Aug. 2, 1932. E, G,BAUER 4 1869 653 CAN FEEDING APPARATUS F l d e 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 81932- E. e. BAUER can FEEDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Shet 5 Filed Feb. 18,1926 Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD G. BAUER,OF HOOPESTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SPRAGUE-SELLS CORPO- RATION, OFI-IOOPESTON, ILLINOIS i CAN FEEDING APPARATUS Application filed February18, 1926. Serial No. 89,138.

g This invention relates to an apparatus for feeding square orrectangular cans to filling machines. 7

It is the general practice where square or rectangular cans are beingfilled by automatic machinery, with fluid substances, to place the canson belt or other types of conveyors, and by them move the cans intooperative relation with the filling mechanism of the filling machines.

It is also the practice in some factories to have an operator place thecans directly into the filling station of the filling machine by a handoperation.

Neither of these plans of feeding square or rectangular cans has provensatisfactory. In the first instance the cans usually have to becartedfrom the storage and handled in crates in order to keep a supply of cansready for an operator to place them on a belt, this means extra handlingand an added expense, in fact this is true as well of thesec- 0ndinstance.

It is to be noted here that there is considerable difference in thestructural features between round and square or rectangular cans. Thereare successful systems in operation for automatically fee-ding roundcans to filling machines. This has been possible because round cansalways have, either full open tops or tops with concentric openings, sothat the cans need no orientation in order to place them properly in thefilling machine. 7

Square or rectangular cans, however, have the openings or fillingnozzles placed out of center in relation to the axis of the can. Theseopenings are usually placed adjacent one corner of the top of the can.This placement is done to facilitate pouring the contents from the cans.On account of the locaion of the filling nozzles. it becomes necessarythat each can being fed to a filling machine must be properly orientedinorder to have the openingcome in register with the filling nozzle of thefilling machine. On this account it has been rather difiicult toconstruct a feeding apparatus that would insure proper orientation andgiven a continuous automatic feed so timed and speeded that the fillingmachine would be continuously supplied with cans.

The main difficulty encountered with the belt conveyor has been thatfriction has had to be depended on for placing the cans into properposition under the filling nozzles of the filling machines, andthatthere has been no way to time the movement of the cans "so that onewould'positive'ly be placed each time a station passed by the row ofcans. This was also true where an operatorwas depended on to place thecans by hand into the filling station. Failure to place a can in eitherof these instances has usually resulted in wasted product since thefilling machine would release the charge of'materia-l that was intendedto go into a can and no can being present the material would be wasted,this applying especially to those filling machines not provided with an'o-can-no-feed device.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a squareor rectangular can feeding apparatus that will surely and certainlyplace a what a filling station on a filling machine each time one passesthe feed chute. i

Other objects of the invention contemplate the provision of feedingapparatus that will receive cans from an overheadv storage through avertical chute and feed them one by onefrom said chute; align them in ahorizontal row foradvancement toward the filling machine; move thishorizofital row intermittently and in timed relation with the movementof the filling machine whereby one can will be properly placed in thefilling machine each time a filling station passes the row of cans; toprovide an apparatus that will be positive and simple in operation andthat will be adaptable to different size cans by the replacing ofsuitable parts.

WVith such objects in view as well as other advantages inherent in theinvention, I wish it understood that the several necessary elements andcombinations constituting the same may be varied in their proportions,.

. 7 Q placements, general arrangement and operative relation withoutdeparting from the nature of the invention, also that the describeddevioes are simply embodiments of the invention which other structuresmight employ without departing from the purview of the invention and Iregard myself as entitled to such variations from the shown anddescribed devices as fall within the scope and meaning of the claimshereto appended.

Reference being now had to the accompanying drawings a better andclearer understanding of the invention will be had. The drawingsherewith are more or less diagram matic in character; are notnecessarily drawn to scale and do not necessarily represent the best orthe preferred engineering practices in the construction of apparatus ofthis nature, the invention as illustrated is in a preferred form andclearly represents the application of the invention to a concrete formor machine.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention, onlyfragmentary parts of the filling machine proper being shown. This viewillustrates clearly the vertical chute into which the cans are placedfrom a floor above; the horizontal column of cans directed toward thefilling machine; the apparatus that pushes the column of cans forwardand the-mechanism operating the pusher.

Figure 2 is a plan of Fig. 1 but with the filling nozzle of Fig. 1removed to more clearly show just when the can is properly placed at thefilling station.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the mechanism of Fig. 1 butwith the moving parts in the forward position showing just how thepusher moves the cans and at the same time supports the stack of cans inthe vertical chute.

Figure l is an end elevation of Fig. 1 looking from the right of thedrawings.

A portion of the filling machine proper is indicated by the. numeral 1.2 represents a horizontally disposed feed table mounted adjacent thefiller turret. This feed table carries the vertical chute 3; the camshaft 4.; the cam 5; the links 6 and the pusher member 7, the feedinghead 8 being removably mounted on the forward end of the pusher 7, andcarrying the stack supporting rollers 9. Mounted under the feed'table 2is the drive shaft 10; gear and pinions 11 and 12, the bevel gears 13and 14 and the main power shaft 15. The cam 5 is provided. with the camgroove 16 in which rides the cam roller 17. The cam 5 is adjustablymounted on the shaft 4 by means of the collar 18 :red to the shaft 4 andhaving arcuate slots 19. The cam 5 is secured to the collar by thecapscrews 20. This manner of mounting permits adjusting the rotaryrelation of the cam tothe rotary movement of the filler turret 1 andthustime the parts as may be desired. The can pusher 7 comprises a slidemember 21 mounted for sliding movement in the bearing member 22 and theremovable head member 8 carrying the supporting rollers 9. Fig. 8indicates how the pusher 21 moves the cans from the vertical chute 3 andhow the rollers 9 support the stack while the undermost can is beingremoved. An extension 28 on the head 8 also assists in supporting thestack when it is necessary through adjustment for different size cans toset the head 8 farther ahead. The cam roller '17 is mounted on the lowerend of a rocker arm 24, and a link 25 connects the arm 2% with the slidemember 21. The links 6 act as supports for the bearing block 22.

Side guide rails 26 are provided to guide the cans 27 along thehorizontal feed table 2. The guide rails 26 are mounted on theadjustable brackets 28 which provide adjustment of the guide rails fordifierent size cans.

For handling different size cans some adjustment to the feed mechanismmay be necessary. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be noticed that the links6 are provided with extra holes for mounting the block 22 in a somewhatlower position to permit of proper adjustment of the head 8 toaccommodate different height cans. The head 8 is removed and one ofsuitable dimensions replacedwhen necessary to have added adjustmentrelative to the longitudinal position thereof.

0 pemtion The operation of the apparatus would be substantially asfollows:

The chute 3 would extend vertically to any floor above, on which cansmay be stored. An operator on this floor would place the cans in thechute properly oriented so the pouring nozzle would be in the rightposition relative to the chute to register with the filling nozzle ofthe filling machine when the cans reached this station. The weight ofthe column of cans in the vertical chute will always be sufficient tokeep the cans resting on the feed table 2 unless the operator feedingthe chute places bent or damaged cans therein and thus clogs it. Vith achute full of cans the machine is started and as the pnshermember '4'advances the parts comprising the pusher mechanism move forward into theposition of Fig. 3, thus moving the lowermost can from under the stackof cans in the vertical chute.

Just as the lowermost can in the stack is started the rollers 9, whichare mounted to be can is removed from the stack. and pushed along thefeed table 2. The second can en counters the first can removed and movesit along. This sequence of operation is repeated until the horizontalcanway is filled with cans abutting against each other. The length ofthis column of cans is determined so that the first can will eventuallyjust reach the pocket of the filler turret as is shown in Fig. 2. Fromnow on the movement of the feed slide 7 will each time place a can in apocket of the filler turret each time a pocket appears at the end of thecolumn.

The drawings show four cans between the chute 3 and the pocket of thefiller turret. it is obvious that any number desired may be provided forin the design and construction of a feeding apparatus. The machineoperator can also observe when the cans are running low in the verticalchute 3 and thus clese off his filling machine before the cans are fullyexhausted, and in this manner prevent the loss of material if no cansare present.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. Anapparatus for feeding square or rectangular cans singly from a stack ofcans comprising a horizontally disposed feed table, a vertical chuteadjacent said table, a reciprocating slide moving through said chute, aremovable feeding head on said slide for engaging cans in said chute andmoving them along said feed table, said removable head having ahorizontal extension for engaging the remaining stack of cans andlifting them away from the can being removed, a support for said feedslide, means on said support to permit repositioning said feed slide tothereby adjust it for different size cans.

2. An apparatus for feeding square or rectangular cans singly from astack of cans comprising a horizontally disposed feed table along whichcans may be moved, a vertical chute for a supply of cans, areciprocating slide moving through said chute, a feed head on said slideconsisting of a depending member for engagement with the lowermost canin the said chute to remove it therefrom and a horizontally extendingmember for engaging the next uppermost can in the stack and lifting thestack away from the can being removed, said member including anantifriction roller for engaging the bottom of the stack with means foradjusting the said feed slide vertically to accommodate varyingconditions of operation.

3. An apparatus for feeding square or rectangular cans from a verticalstack comprising a horizontally disposed feed table along which cans maybe fed, a vertical chute for a supply of cans, a reciprocating slidemoving through said chute, a removable feed head on said slide adaptedto simultaneously engage the side of the lowermost can in the chute toremove it therefrom and a movable member to engage the bottom of thenext can above to lift the stack away from the moving can with means forreciprocating said slide.

4. An apparatus for feeding square or rectangular cans from a verticalstack compris- 5. An apparatus for feedingsquare or rectangular cansfrom r a VQItlCEIl stack: of cans comprising a'horizontallydisposedfeed-table,-

vertical chutefor a stack of cans,- a feed slidepositioned in a planefrom said feed table, asupport for said slide, meansfor altering thevertical position of said slideand said support, a feed head removably"secured to said slidefor engaging the. side of the lowermost canin-isaid chuteandrmove it therefrom along said feed table, a rollercarried'by said-feed head for. engaging-the next can above in the chuteimmediately after the lowermost can'begins movement to thereby lift andsupport the remaining stack 'whileth e lowermost can is being removedtherefrom and moved along said feed table.

6. An apparatus for feeding square or rectangular cans from a verticalstack of cans comprising a horizontally disposed feed table, a verticalchute for a stack of cans, a feed slide positioned above and out ofcontact with said feed table, a support therefor, said feed slide beingadapted to engage and feed the lowermost can from the stack and at thesame time engage the next above can to support the stack while thelowermost can is removed, a power shaft located underneath said feedslide and disposed axially parallel therewith, a cam adjacent the end ofsaid shaft, a disk secured to said shaft, a transfer arm connecting saidcam and said slide whereby reciprocating movement is transmitted to saidslide with means connecting said cam and said disk for timing itsmovement relative to the movement of cans along said feed table.

7. An apparatus for feeding square or rectangular cans from the bottomof a vertical stack of cans comprising a feed table along which cans maybe moved in timed relation, a feed slide for moving said cans, a cam anda rocker arm for imparting movement to said slide, a shaft looselysupporting said cam, a flanged member fixed on said shaft and connectedwith said cam for permitting timing adjustment of said cam relative tothe movement of cans along said feed table.

and out of contact with said table, a remov- 8. An apparatus for feedingsquare or recable head on said slide performing the dual function ofengaging and feeding the lowermost can from said stack and engaging andsupporting the remaining stack while the lowermost can is fed therefromand support- 5 ing the stack until the feed slide is again in theretracted position, a support for said slide permitting repositioning togive a different adjustment for different size cans and the removablehead being replaceable with another of differing dimensions to giveadjustment for different size cans with means for reciprocating saidslide.

9. An apparatus for feeding square or rectangular cans singly from astack of cans v 15 comprising a horizontally disposed feed table alongwhich cans may be moved, a vertical chute for a supply of cans, areciprocating slide moving through said chute, a feed head on said slideconsisting of a vertical Wall for engagement with the lowermost can inthe said chute to remove it therefrom and a horizontally extendingmember for engaging the next uppermost can in the stack and lifting thestack away from the can being removed, said feed head including a rollerfor engaging the stack.

- n testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWARD G. BAUER.

